


an imperial affliction

by daestruct



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - MAMA (Music Video), M/M, Supernatural - Freeform, cheesy reunions, destined relationships, slight suicide impliciations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2015-10-28
Packaged: 2018-04-28 14:31:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5094236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daestruct/pseuds/daestruct
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jongin is five year's old, he receives a necklace with a star. When Jongin is eighteen, he learns why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	an imperial affliction

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. there are various drabbles connected to this verse~ please check those out at well  
> 2\. umm yes this thing... i love this verse and i hope i can come back to it eventually  
> 3\. I LOVE MAMA AUS I LOVE MAMA SO MUCH SORRY NOT SORRY

When Jongin is five years old, he wanders away from his mother in the park while his older sisters tumble around on the grass, attempting cartwheels and somersaults. Five-year-old Jongin doesn't have a destination in mind when he goes tottering away after a bug flying lazily through the air, but he keeps going forward, chasing the strange glowing bug until he trips over a tree root. He hits the ground with an "oof!", but he does not cry. Jongin's father told him he is a big boy, and big boys do not cry. Jongin rolls over to sit on his bottom, his pudgy arms crossed in front of him.

  
Even though no tears are spilled, Jongin's lower lip wobbles the slightest bit, and he hears a low but happy voice call out to him.  
"Whoa there, kiddo," the voice says. Jongin looks up, craning his head back until he feels like he's staring up at the tops of the trees so that he can see the face of the voice talking to him.

He sees the funniest looking man. Although he's tall and well dressed, his hair is wildly curled and bounces off of his cheekbones. His ears stick out through his mess of hair, the sunlight managing to stream through the membrane and make his ears look a strange orangey-red. He's got the silliest, widest grin on his face, and one eye is bigger than the other.  
Jongin almost lets out a peel of laughter, but then he remembers that he hurts, and if he opens his mouth, he will probably cry.

"Are you okay, kid?" the funny looking man asks, crouching down to Jongin's level. The five-year-old's eyes are wide as they stare at the man.

"I-I," Jongin tries, stuttering through the tears trying to fall from his eyes, "I'm okay. I...am fine." He starts to get up, but nearly trips over the same root again. The strange man catches him and continues to hold out his hand for Jongin. Jongin takes it, getting up slowly.

"No need- uhm, I don't need your help anymore." Jongin pauses, then remembers his manners. Just as his mother had told him, he bows a perfect ninety degrees and says,

"Thank you."

The guy laughs, leaning down to ruffle little Jongin's hair. "Wow, you tripped and didn't even cry!" He exclaims.  He looks thoughtful for a moment before meeting Jongin's eyes very seriously.

"You must be very brave," he says. Jongin's chest puffs up with pride and he nods, crossing his arms.

"I am!" He declares. The funny looking man laughs.

"You are," he agrees, "for your bravery, I'll give you something very special." He reaches into his coat, and Jongin suddenly feels very afraid, and he steps back, his arms no longer crossed but rather wrapped around himself.

"M-my mommy says I shouldn't take treats from strangers," he stutters, eyes a little too wide. The stranger just kneels down, pulling a silver charm on a leather cord out for Jongin to see.

"This is no treat, little Jonginnie," the man says. It never even crosses Jongin's mind that he hadn't told the funny man his name. "It's a very special necklace." The silver glitters in the sun, and Jongin can't stop himself from reaching out, making little grabby hands at it. The funny looking man relinquishes his hold on the necklace very easily, and helps Jongin secure it around his neck.

"It looks great on you, kiddo," the man says, holding out a thumbs up and winking. Jongin giggles.

"Thank you!" He says brightly.

"Sure, no problem, kid," the funny-looking man says. He gives a little wave. "Now, run on back to your mom, ok? But make sure you keep very quiet about this. It's like a game, ok? If you tell anyone, you'll lose." He singsongs his words, pressing a finger to his lips to emphasize the need for silence. Jongin nods along solemnly, intending to follow the man's instructions. The silly man smiles and gives Jongin a slight push back in the direction he came from.

Jongin jumps, as if suddenly remembering he has parents and a sister to return to. He turns and starts to head back before he thinks of something very important.

"Hey, mister!" He shouts. The man stops in his place and turns back.

"Yes, Jonginnie?"

"What's your name?" The kid shouts. The guy gives him a sort of mysterious smile, and his eyes and hair look for all the world like they're on fire.

"Chanyeol," he answers. "Don't worry; you'll see me again." And then he turns, the sun shines bright for one moment, and Jongin swears he sees another man almost as tall as Chanyeol, wave his hand before disappearing behind the trees. Just like that, Chanyeol is gone.

Jongin goes teetering back to where his mother and sisters are playing. He presses his finger to his lips in an imitation of what Chanyeol had done when he told him to keep this all a secret, and continues to play quietly by himself. The necklace, a silver charm looking for all the world like a blown-up image of a snowflake.

No one had noticed his absence, and it's not until years later that he considers _time_ had been the absent one, not him.

  
...

  
When Jongin is ten, he wakes up at 3:14 AM, the exact time of his birth, screaming at the burning sensation in his hand. His mom and dad come running into his room, and can't understand what's wrong with their son. His hand looks normal: the skin isn't red, and there is no sign of bug bites or cuts.

"It's burning, mama!" Jongin cries, tearing running down his cheeks, "It really hurts!"

"It's all in your head, Jonginnie," his father soothes, pulling his son into his lap, and rubbing the boy's back. He hums gently, the vibrations in his chest usually serving to calm his son now only aggravating him. Jongin cries and cries, holding his right hand to his chest. His mother brings him an ice pack, allowing him to press it right up against the burning skin. It only alleviates the sting of the burn but not the heat. Jongin still cries, leaning back against his father and letting his mother play with his hair. Eventually, he exhausts himself with his loud sobbing and falls asleep.

In the morning, Jongin has nearly no memory of the incident, just faint flashes of his parents' caring and worried faces. He hops to the bathroom in a happy mood, ready to celebrate his birthday (he's ten, so ten presents this year!). When he's washing his hands, he notices something on the back on his right one.

There, in what looks an awful lot like black Sharpie, is a triangle decorated on the inside with a swirled pattern. He looks at it curiously for a moment before remembering his mom absolutely hates any writing on his hand and tries unsuccessfully to rub it off with soap.

The mark stays.

Jongin suddenly remembers something, feeling the phantom twinge of heat on the back of his hand. He remembers intense burning and crying uncontrollably last night. He remembers the way his necklace (the one he's had for five years now and never takes off) had felt so startlingly cold against his sternum in comparison. He remembers the way the silly man from so long ago, the man with the name he can't forget, the man called Chanyeol, had looked as though he was on fire. Jongin figures that would be a wholly uncomfortable way to live.

Instead of skipping happily out of the bathroom, Jongin walks slowly, carefully keeping his hand behind his back. When he gets to the kitchen, he mother is there, carefully making Seaweed soup for the birthday boy. She looks exhausted, her hair pulled back messily instead of framing her face artfully as usual.

"Hi, mama!" Jongin calls out as if nothing is wrong. His mom looks over at him.

"Good morning, Jonginnie," she says, pausing to lower the heat on the stove so that she can take a moment away from it. She leans down and holds out her arms. "Happy birthday, my sweet boy." Jongin steps forward into her arms, letting his mother hug him. He hugs back with his left arm, but keeps his right firmly behind him. His mother pulls back, a confused look on her face.

"Does your hand still hurt?" She asks, tugging gently at his elbow. Jongin's eyes widen as he shakes his head frantically.

"No, mama," he insists, "I'm fine. It doesn't hurt anymore." His mother pulls on his arm again.

"Let me see, Jonginnie," she says, her voice still light. Jongin shakes his head again.

"No," he says. His mother frowns.

"Do not talk back to me, young man," she warns, "Show me your hand." Slowly, looking at the floor, Jongin lets his mother pull his hand from where he'd hidden it behind his back. She sucks in a quiet breath, looking at the mark. Jongin looks at it too, simply because he's curious. He's only seen the design once anyway, and it looks cool. His mother closes her mouth and takes a few breaths.

"Don't draw on yourself," she murmurs weakly, righting herself into a standing position. Jongin nods and agrees with her, promising that he won't ever write on himself again. But it's weird, the words tasting a bit out of place just as much as his mother's had stuck in the air without a real place to go. Jongin's sure he never wrote on his hand, but he certainly never went to a Tattoo Parlor.  
Eventually, he figures, the mark will come off. Eventually, the mark does not come off. His mother traces the triangular symbol absentmindedly with her thumb.

She doesn't comment on how the mark is off-center, how it sits up closer to his wrist and towards the outside of his hand more than it does in the center of the back of it. It's not for a few more years that Jongin considers that the mark is unfinished.

  
...

  
When Jongin is thirteen, he gets in a street fight with some other kids from his school. They'd seen his mark, and told him he would be a bad student. Jongin had never done anything less than his best for fear of his father's wrath should he bring home a bad grade. Because the other kids' arguments held no ground, Jongin hadn't reacted, simply ignoring the other boys throughout class and continuing to take notes as best as he can with their whispering constantly slipping into his ears.

After school, a few blocks down the road on the way to his house, the boys from his class and a few more of their friends caught up with him, slinging their arms over his shoulders and pulling him into an alley between a convenience store and a an animal shelter.

"You won't even make it to high school," they taunt. "You'll be working shitty side jobs to scrape together enough money for your next hit."

The apparent leader had bravely said: "That's right. You'll be fucked up and dead by the time you're eighteen, just another overdose case." That's when Jongin had snapped, yelling back in the defense of himself.

"No, I won't!" He grits his teeth. "I won't end up like the lot of you." The boys had sneered, laughing, as their leader grinned wickedly and curled his hand into a fist.

"You oughta watch your mouth!" He accentuates the words with a hard punch to Jongin's jaw. His head slams back, skin scraping across the brick wall behind him. He sucks in a harsh breath at the pain.

The kid takes a step forward and hits him again, his face grinding against the brick even more. Jongin tells himself turn the other cheek repeatedly, but his hands are fisted. The kid moves to kick him, and then the strangest thing happens.

He foot catches in what looks a lot like _midair_ to Jongin, and he tumbles to the ground, his balance disrupted. Two others pull back their arms, rocks and gravel gathered in their fists. Fear races through Jongin's system in a flash of icy cold.

Literal icicles fly out of nowhere and slice through the palms of the boys. They screech at the sudden appearance of the ice and it's apparent use as weaponry.

"What the fuck?" The leader shouts, stepping forward and snagging his hand in Jongin's shirt, pulling on it. "How the fuck did you do that?"

"I didn't!" Jongin protests. The leader's grip tightens, and Jongin finds it a little more difficult to breathe. "S-stop, I-!" The leader breaks away, shards of ice embedded in his hand. He stares at it in horror, blood running down his wrist. The necklace rests cold against Jongin's chest.

"Hey!" A new voice shouts, "What the hell is going on out here?" The words are slightly accented, and the necklace hidden under Jongin's shirt pulses slightly as if taking a calming breath. Jongin clutches at the skin over his heart where the charm sits. The other kids turn frantically, seeing a man in a vet's coat standing at the entrance to the alley. He's got his sleeves rolled up, and at least ten centimeters on all of them.

"Let's go, Seong," the smallest of the kids says, tugging at the leaders sleeve. He nods, and the rest of them straighten, ready to split.  
"Freak," one of the boys spits, a bit of it splattering on Jongin's cheek. Jongin hardly reacts, merely stares at the shards of ice embedded in the brick walls. The kids glare at him as they leave, helping their friend with blood dripping from his fingers cover up the wounds. The guy from the animal shelter keeps his arms crossed and a serious side-eye trained on the others as they scurry away.  
He walks up to Jongin, and holds hand out, silently offering support.

"C'mon," he says, his voice light and friendly, "We've got a little hospital in the back for the dogs. I'm sure we can get some antiseptic on that." He points at Jongin's face, and Jongin lifts a hand to wipe at it, his hand coming away bloody. The guy slaps his hand away.

"Don't," he says, "You'll get some gunk in it." Jongin grumbles but obeys, allowing himself to be pulled into the pet shelter and vet's office by the man in the jacket. He notices the spot where a nametag would normally be present is blank, but a faint outline is there as if someone had ripped the name off.

"Sit here," the stranger instructs, patting the counter. He turns on the sink, waiting for the water to heat.

"Who are you?" Jongin asks the man, watching him wash his hands and pull on gloves.

"Luhan," he answers. Jongin opens his mouth to asks something else, but Luhan beats him to it. "Yes, I am Chinese." He grabs a soft cloth and wets it, beginning to gently wipe away the blood on Jongin's face.

"Did you see what happened out there?" Jongin asks.

Luhan tilts his head curiously. "Oh, yeah. The ice." He doesn't sound even the slightest bit curious, despite his expression. Rather, he sounds like it's an everyday thing.

"Isn't it weird?" Jongin presses, "Have you seen something like that before?" The other man just shrugs and gathers up a new cloth, soaking it with rubbing alcohol.

"Maybe someone's watching over you," Luhan suggests, and his tone seems strangely certain, as if he knows it for a fact. He dabs carefully at the scratch around Jongin's eye. Jongin flinches, but manages to not duck completely away from the sting of alcohol. Luhan's hand on his shoulder is strangely calming. Jongin relaxes into his touch as Luhan continues to clean his cuts and scrapes.  
There's the sound of barking back in the pet's living area, and Luhan grumbles something under his breath in Mandarin. Strangely, although Jongin can't place the exact words, he feels as if he's understood everything Luhan has said.

"One second, Jonginnie," Luhan says, patting his shoulder, "I think my _colleague_ is causing problems in the pound." He sets down his materials, stripping off his gloves and stepping out the door.

"Joonmyun!" Jongin can hear Luhan shouting, "What are you doing?" There's a muffled reply followed by a crash and an overdramatic sigh from Luhan. He hears Luhan say something, but his lowered volume does not allow Jongin to make out the words. It sounds like things are being moved around and shuffled, a lot at once, but that doesn't make sense- there's only two people here plus Jongin himself.

The door opens again, and Luhan steps back in with another man in tow.

"Jonginnie," Luhan says brightly, even though Jongin can detect a hint of annoyance in his voice, "This is Joonmyun, my, uh, coworker." Joonmyun elbows Luhan with a sly grin, and Luhan directs his own elbow into Joonmyun's ribs.

"Are you alright?" Joonmyun asks, "Luhan told me what happened." Jongin feels incredibly shy- Joonmyun is incredibly handsome. Despite his tiny stature, he carries himself with an air that demands attention. With Joonmyun right next to him, Luhan looks even brighter, his beauty reflected in Joonmyun's eyes.

If not for Luhan's claims of colleague and coworker, Jongin would have assumed the two of them to be a package deal. They move together so well, curving around the other's motions in an impeccable manner.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, Joonmyun-ssi," Jongin said. The other man smiled.

"Hyung," he said.

"What?" Jongin asked, a bit shocked but not one bit uncomfortable.

"Call me hyung," Joonmyun repeated. Jongin nodded slowly.

"Ok, hyung," he said.  Luhan threw his arms around Joonmyun's neck from behind, leaning over his coworker's shoulder. _Too close,_ Jongin thought, _they're too close._ Luhan pointed at his own face.

"Me too," he adds, "Call me hyung too." Jongin can't stop the giant smile that spreads on his face as he readily agrees. It's not until he leaves the pet shelter, a few plasters covering various scrapes and bruises, that he realizes both Joonmyun and Luhan had identical tattoos inked into the skin of their left forearms. He realizes that the ink had seemed more like their skin's natural form, much like the mark on the back of his hand. He gasps, eyes widening in realization and turns back to the shelter. But when he gets there, he's greeted by a kind fresh-out-of-college woman and her boss. Neither of them had ever heard of a Luhan or Joonmyun.

Jongin leaves feeling utterly confused, his insides twisted up with the strangeness of the unnatural circumstances happening around him.

  
...

  
When Jongin is sixteen, he's sitting in a darkened classroom watching an movie on the Japanese occupancy of Korea (complete with horrible actors and fuzzy scanned paintings) when he feels the strangest sensation of something _moving_ on his chest. He glances down and sees the creases in his shirt shifting slightly. He carefully moves to loosen his tie and unbutton the top button of his dress shirt. He reaches into his undershirt and pulls out the necklace that he's worn consistently since it was given to him by the funny man in the woods- Chanyeol.

He's shocked into silence, watching the necklace and its former shape as an ice-crystal (he'd taken to calling it that, because ice-crystal sounded far cooler than _snowflake_ ) morph and meld into ... _a star?_

The necklace glows. It lights up the entire room, so bright that Jongin can see spots dancing in his vision. That his teacher is shouting for someone to stop playing with that flashlight. That those closest to him are gasping and covering their eyes. That the few boys that picked on him two years that are still in his class sneer with their eyes closed.

"It's that freak again," they mutter to each other. "Little fucker." The necklace only glows brighter, the glow becoming a bright white light.

"What-"

Jongin stumbles out of his heat, tucking the necklace back into his shirt, and holding his dark jacket closed over it, trying to smother the light as he runs out of the classroom. The necklace is warm against his skin, a stark contrast to the cold temperature he had always associated with it. He pushes past teachers and students loitering out in the hallways, enjoying a free period or skipping class, running out onto the roof into the bright May sunshine. For the first time in years, Jongin yanks the necklace over his head and holds it away from himself. It shines even brighter than the sun, but Jongin strangely feels no need to squint at it. He cradles the newly-formed star charm on the necklace with careful hands, amazed.

"Well, well," a voice interrupts his thoughts, "I've never seen it do that before."

Jongin whips around, coming face to face with a short man with sharply cut cheekbones and a curled smile. He's quite handsome, even if the aura around him is intimidating and electric.

"Guess he's been awakened, huh?" The guy says. He shrugs. "Makes sense. Pretty sure it's his birthday today anyway. About time too. Minseok-hyung's been-"

"W-what?" Jongin asks, closing his fingers around the necklace. It's calming down, reverting back to a glow and allowing color to fill in at the edges of his vision where everything else had been to reduced to white and outlines. He can make out the flashing behind the mysterious man's eyes. Sparks seem to fly from them the same way fire had burned behind Chanyeol's.

"Wow, you look really confused," the man says. He laughs, and it's a sharp sound, ringing with the melody of a summer storm, "Didn't Chanyeol tell you anything?"

Jongin knows he looks even more bewildered. "Umm,  I don't-"

"Or Luhan?" The man tries, cutting in again. A crease has formed between his eyebrows, and his shoulders seem tensed. Jongin shakes his head.

 "Luhan? Oh! The vet-"

"But _surely_ Joonmyun-hyung said something," the guy continues. Again, Jongin can only dumbly shake his head. The guy growls, running his fingers agitatedly through his hair. He paces a little bit, grumbling. Sparks jump off of his fingers. " _Fuck-_ this will be harder than I thought!"

He suddenly stops moving, a look of horrid realization crossing his features.

"Maybe I wasn't supposed to say anything," he muses. He looks stricken for a moment before he relaxes. "Ah, well. Too late now. " He focuses his cat grin on Jongin. "Say, you know what that necklace is?"

"Uh," Jongin says a bit stupidly, "A necklace?"

The other man snorts rudely, "Okay, smartass, I already know it's a necklace. I'm asking if you know what it really is, but since you so kindly explained your frankly elementary thoughts about it, I'll go ahead and tell you."

This man talks a lot, Jongin notices, but he can tell the other guy is smart and quick-witted. His voice is a bit on the whiny side, but Jongin doesn't mind the way he seems to take up empty space around him with electricity and presence. His voice takes up the gaps between them easily, and Jongin isn't even bother by the slight condescending tone in his voice.

"That there is a charm that connects you to your Opposite," he explains, "He's finally come into his power today, so that's why the thing just changed - it was a snowflake before, right?"

"Ice crystal," Jongin corrects, defending the necklace as if anything this guy is saying makes sense.

The other man laughs. "Sure, princess, whatever you say." He darts forward and snags the thing from Jongin's grip. Jongin lets out a "hey!" of protest, his fingers closing around empty air, but the guy's already darted away.

"It's been a few years since I last saw this," he says, tapping his chin. He tilts his head to the side as if thinking. Jongin is reminded of Luhan making the same expression. "I think...two hundred and sixty seven years?" Jongin chokes.

"What?"

"We're mostly immortal, you know," the guy says. He holds the necklace close to his face. It's nearly stopped glowing now, and the eight-pointed star is much more easily visible. "Anyway, I'm sure Minseok's tired of lending you energy to protect yourself. That scuffle a few years ago? That was him protecting you. Of course Luhan didn't bother to fucking explain." He stops himself and looks hard at the necklace. "A star..."

"Who are you?" Jongin finally demands, his mouth finally agreeing to work. The guy throws him a V sign and a wink.

"Jongdae," he says, "Call me hyung, Jonginnie." Once again, Jongin never questions how these people know his name, or his lack of unease around them.

"Light!" Jongdae randomly shouts out. Jongin blinks. Jongdae then whirls on Jongin, pointing a finger solidly in his direction. "So you are darkness."

"The skin jokes got old in the third grade, hyung," Jongin says, rolling his eyes. Jongdae rolls his own eyes in response.

"I'm not talking about your skin, punk," he says, "I mean your powers." He gestures towards the necklace he's dangling from a finger.

"Your Opposite is obviously light, so you'll be darkness." He rubs his chin. "The question is how that'll manifest."

"My opposite?" Jongin asks, "Wait, uhm, manifest?" His head reels. "How old are you?"

Jongdae doesn't answer any of Jongin's questions. He tosses the necklace back to him and snaps his fingers. Sparks fly around him.

"On your eighteenth birthday, you'll get yours too," Jongdae says, sounding for all the world like a fairy tail curse.

"My what?" Jongin asks, mind still reeling. Jongdae just smiles and throws up his arm. Lightning zaps the roof, right where Jongdae stands, and he's gone. In a very quiet voice, one riddled with shock and confusion, Jongin calls out to the empty air:

"Hyung?"

...

  
At 3:14 AM, the exact moment that Jongin turns eighteen, he wakes with a fever and sweat drenched body in a room that is not his.

"Hyung," Jongin hears a voice that is slightly too familiar say, "He's awake." Another voice, this one softer but so much more authoritative, answers the first voice.

"I see that," the second person says. His voice rings right next to Jongin's ear. That's when he realizes the other man has his arms wrapped around Jongin. Unable to help himself, Jongin tenses and coughs.

"Ssh," the man in bed with him murmurs, "Don't overwork yourself. It'll be over soon." Jongin wants to ask what will be over soon, find out where he is, and who the other is, but his throat is too parched and he only manages to make himself gag.

"Chanyeol," says the voice to whom the arms around him belong ( _Chanyeol!_ Jongin cries mentally), "Will you fetch Jongin some water, please?" There's a deep grumble of Chanyeol's voice and the pathetic squeak of a desk chair.

"Sure, hyung," Chanyeol agrees. Jongin heers the whine of the door hinges and then silence except for the light breath in his ear. The arms wrapped around him are cool, keeping the heat of the fever from suffocating Jongin's mind.

"My name is Minseok," the man with his arms around Jongin says, "My power is ice. I'd like it if you called me hyung." Jongin can't help but relax back against the chest of this person, surrounding himself in the comfort of the circle of Minseok's arms. "The other guy is Chanyeol, but you know him, right? His power is fire." He sounds unbelievably fond as he talks about Chanyeol.

The door creaks back open, and Chanyeol's presence, which feels warm and unadulterated like the fire Jongin remembers burning in his eyes, like the fire he controls, fills the room. Jongin stretches, comforted by the heat and soothed by the cool.

"Here you are, Jonginnie," Chanyeol murmurs. He grabs Jongin's hand, wrapping it around a water bottle. His warm hands cup Jongin's face, rubbing gently over his eyes. Jongin brings the water bottle to his lips, gulping greedily at the cold liquid. He swallows wrong and coughs harshly. Minseok soothes him through it, and Chanyeol wipes away the tears that gather at the corners of his eyes. Jongin thanks them breathlessly.

"Of course," Chanyeol says in place of "you're welcome", the short phrase more heartfelt than the latter option. "We will always help you out, kiddo. You're our brother." He reaches forward and tugs on Jongin's necklace, pulling the light charm out for them to see.  
"Besides, Minseok-hyung didn't send you his energy to protect yourself for nothing." The fire in his eyes dances teasingly. "It's exhausting stuff to protect a person that far away." A little chip of ice smacks Chanyeol's nose.

"Oh, hush, you," Minseok murmurs, "You know I didn't mind. And besides, after all the times you had to help out this guy's other half, I don't think you need to complain for me." Chanyeol acquiesces easily, his tone playful and posture relaxed.

"Hyung?" Jongin asks carefully. He receives a murmur of encouragement to continue. "When I met Jongdae-hyung, he kept talking about opposites?" He glances between Minseok and Chanyeol as best he can with his head weighing an extra ton from his fever.

"What are opposites?"

"Opposites," Minseok answers slowly, "are a pair of people who posses powers that both balance and negate the each other." His arm reaches out, and Chanyeol immediately moves his own hand forward to grab Minseok's fingers.

Chanyoel continues, "Like Minseok-hyung and I. He's ice; I'm fire. Or Kyungsoo and Yifan. They're land and sky." Jongin blinks. He hasn't met the aforementioned Kyungsoo-hyung or Yifan-hyung yet, but he will. He knows it.

"And the necklace shows me who my opposite is?" Jongin asks.

"Not really," Minseok explains patiently, "When Chanyeol first gave you that necklace, he gave it to you with my symbol on it so that I could protect you until your own Opposite came into his power. When he did, the necklace morphed to match him." Jongin twists, lifting his hand to feel over Minseok's shirt.

"You're not wearing a necklace," he says, questioning.

"Only the youngest pair holds the necklaces, Jonginnie," Chanyeol interrupts. His eyes are comically narrowed. "Are you stealing my boyfriend?" Minseok laughs when Jongin snatches his hand away quickly.

"Ignore him," Minseok whispers. "He just...ridiculous." Chanyeol turns up his nose and refuses to answer to that. He feels Jongin's forehead, checking on his fever. "But most pairs are like that. Very protective, very touchy, and very, very annoying." He says that part with the utmost affection. Chanyeol preens. From this angle, Jongin can see the mark of a phoenix carrying ice in its talons tattooed on Chanyeol's neck. Sure enough, there's matching one on Minseok's own neck. Jongin thinks of his own unfinished symbol on his hand.

"What about-" Jongin cuts himself off, unsure if his question is appropriate. "What about my Opposite?" Minseok sighs, waving a hand limply in Chanyeol's direction.

"He's not here right now," the man who first revealed himself to Jongin explains with a sigh.

"Then why didn't I go to him?" Jongin asks, "With this teleport. If he's my other half, shouldn't I be there? Wouldn't I be drawn most to him?"

Chanyeol lets out an awkward little cough. "Listen, Jonginnie-"

"Chanyeol!" Minseok hisses. The air flares a little too cold around Jongin, and he shivers. Minseok apologizes profusely, but Jongin gets it. Somehow, he understands that Minseok is used to lying with Chanyeol- that the boy on fire and the boy frozen balance each other in a way that detailed control of their powers isn't necessary.

"What?" Chanyeol fires back. His eyes blaze.

"That's not for you to say," Minseok nearly growls. "So don't." Chanyeol slumps in his seat, agreeing begrudgingly. Jongin shifts, uncomfortable with the short fight between a pair. He wants to whine, wants to complain that they should tell him why his Opposite isn't here- but he can feel the gnawing emptiness in his heart yearning not for their words, but the words of someone he hasn't yet met. He changes the subject.

"Where is this?" Jongin asks, now sitting with Minseok behind him to support him.

"Suho-hyung and Luhan-hyung's apartment in Beijing," Chanyeol answers calmly, "It's really on the outskirts though, so it's quite...quiet here."

"Why..." Jongin says slowly, formulating his question, "Would I come here?" He glances around the room, "I've never been here before."

Minseok runs a soothing hand along Jongin's arm, settling the panic rising in Jongin's stomach. "You're drawn to us, aren't you, Jonginnie?" He murmurs. "You've always called us hyung so easily, right?" Jongin nods along.

"All of us are connected by a chain due to the energy within ourselves that allows us these gifts," Minseok explains. It's one of the most clear explanations Jongin has heard yet (Jongdae's cryptic words three years ago absolutely do not count). He wants to ask questions, but he's almost too scared to interrupt and stop the flow of information. "When you turn eighteen, your body automatically develops the gift that's slowly been growing within you. Of course, that build up means there's a lot of residual energy, and it has to be used. So, for instance, you teleported."

"But why here?" Jongin blurts. He immediately bites his tongue, apologizing with his eyes for being rude. It's not that he doesn't want to be here- this moment is one of the most comfortable he's ever experienced, it's that he wants to hear the voice of someone he doesn't yet know but yearns for, wants to feel his embrace. Minseok just laughs and runs a hand through Jongin's hair.

"Because here is where we are, the people like you, Jongin," Minseok says. " _You belong here."_ A pang of longing followed by the most wonderful thrill of love zips through Jongin's system, holding him shocked still. He takes a deep breath in and smiles widely.  
"Thank you, hyung," he says to Minseok. He looks to Chanyeol. "Thank you, hyung."

"Of course, Jonginnie," Chanyeol says, "Now go back to sleep." Jongin yawns as if on cue and snuggles down into the covers, taking Minseok with him. He barely registers Chanyeol's squawk of indignation, mock jealousy, and boyfriend stealing as he slips back into the clutches of sleep.

  
...

  
When Jongin is eighteen plus a few days, he decides the burning feeling in his chest is loneliness. He wants what he'd seen in Minseok and Chanyeol, in Luhan and Joonmyun. He wants that completion, that unadulterated love, that they share.

Unfortunately, all Jongin feels is emptiness.

He tries to sneak into the two houses that Luhan and Joonmyun keep in Beijing and Seoul respectively, but his opposite is never. His brothers (he calls them that with certainty now) still won't mention even the missing man's name or when they last saw him.  
Jongin's taking the time while searching for his Opposite to really learn the limits of his ability. He can move through the shadows, jumping from one place to another. He's chatting excitedly with Sehun in the kitchen of the Seoul apartment, Zitao's Opposite, Zitao who Jongin had seen when Chanyeol first appeared to him, about jumping to the Americas when Kyungsoo walks in and stops his thoughts immediately.

"You're not strong enough for that, Jonginnie," Kyungsoo says. He drops his back of groceries on the counter and smacks at Sehun's butt to get him to start putting things away.

"What do you mean?" Jongin demands. "I think I'll make it just fine."

"Sure," Kyungsoo agrees, "But you won't be able to get back." Jongin's jaw drops, and he clenches his fists.

"What do you mean?" His voice comes out edgier, meaner than he'd intended. Kyungsoo just raises an eyebrow.

"You don't know your Opposite," he explains, "Without him, you won't have enough energy to get back. Or a point to draw you back." Jongin stares with a frown frozen on his face. Then he turns and stalks toward the front door.

"Where are you going, Jongin?" Sehun calls, dropping the soup he'd been putting up and rushing towards the latest addition of their group. Jongin looks at him with his hand on the doorknob.

"I hate this," he growls, "Does he have an idea how much I feel like I've been torn into pieces? All I want is to know him and I _can't-"_ Jongin stops himself as he starts getting hysteric, his voice pitching upward and his chest rising and falling dramatically with each breath. Sehun's gentle hands fall on his shoulders.

"He does know that pain, Jongin!" he snaps, "It's just-"

A hand grasps Sehun's wrist and draws him back. It's Kyungsoo. He's shaking his head, a sad but firm expression on his face.

"Be quiet," he orders, "This isn't your story to tell." Jongin grumbles under his breath. That's what Minseok had said to Chanyeol, but at this rate, it seems Jongin will never hear this story. In front of him, Sehun stiffens.

"Tao and uhm, _they're_ coming back," he says. Jongin throws the door open.

"Fine," he says, "fine. I get it. I'm leaving." Shadows rise up, and Jongin is gone. When he opens his eyes in his room at home, he it struck with the sudden realization that his Opposite doesn't want to see him because Jongin has done something horribly wrong.

...

When Jongin is nineteen, he's become used to the feeling of longing, the feeling of missing something, the feeling of being incomplete, and he's gained the ability to feel anger and resentment at his Opposite who has never shown himself to Jongin.

Jongin has dreamed of him, has seen his light flashing behind his eyelids, has tried to follow him to the places he dreams of him in, but he has never caught him. He doesn't even know his face.

Jongin regularly sees his other brothers, the ones who won't tell him about his Opposite, the ones who are either in Korea or in China at any hour of the day. He loves them all, but he hates that no matter how hard he tries, they won't let him come into contact with his Opposite. He's entered rooms to feel a different energy that races through him in an earily similar manner to arousal and known that it's the residual energy of his pair.

"Hey Jongin!" Chanyeol shouts in the manner he has when Jongin's unknown Opposite is already at the apartment. He hears shuffling and a voice he's never heard before urging Chanyeol to stall Jongin. Chanyeol barrels forward into the apartment's entranceway, arms open wide to envolope Jongin in a hug, but it's too late. Jongin has heard his Opposite's voice, heard the joking, musical quality of it- he's already running.

He ducks under Chanyeol's grip, flies into the next room and sees light. Within it he can sees the slight figure of a man, and a name bursts from his lips.

 _"Baekhyun!"_

Terror and anger and longing suddenly flare in Jongin as the light flashes brightly enough to dissolve the user into particles and carry him where he needs to go. Jongin draws up his shadows, wraps them around himself and jumps forward into the light ahead of him.  
He holds his breath before he pictures the Jusangjeolli cliffs on Jeju. Forcing his shadows to listen to him and to take the light with them, he shifts. The light shines brighter in protest, but Jongin's shadows only grow darker.

 _Like opposites._

He lands hard on the rocky ground, his palms scraping gracelessly against pebbles and dirt. He winces and lets out a shocked little sound when one of the shards cuts into the fleshy part of the heel of his hand. Just ahead of himself, struggling to his feet is his Opposite, a warm halo of light surrounding him. He stands on wobbly legs, stepping forward and gathering up his energy again. Panic stabs into Jongin's heart, and he's on his feet in an insteant, ignoring the blood dripping down his fingers.

He reaches forward, practically diving off the cliffs in his haste to clasp onto Baekhyun. His fingers close around his Opposite's wrist, and time seems to hold still, the only sounds that of the wind and the ocean roiling hundreds of feet beneath them.  
Jongin's heart beats along with the pulse under his fingers.

The man turns, and Jongin is breathless. He's beautiful, friendly down-turned eyes and smooth skin, dark hair that brushes along his browline and emphasizes the pink of his mouth.

"You," Jongin tries, "You're-" He can't complete a sentence; he's so deliriously happy at finally having this man, his Opposite, _Baekhyun,_ here in front of him.  He subconsciously tightens his grip on Baekhyun's wrist, trying to pull him in towards himself.  
Baekhyun stubbornly steps back.

"Let the fuck go of me."

Jongin does, stumbling back as if he's been slapped. Baekhyun's glare is murderous and hurt. He looks so broken; Jongin's heart breaks a little more, but he pastes a smile on anyway. He knows it looks horridly empty, and Baekhyun's answering contempt is proof of that. Jongin extends his hand.

"My name is Jongin," he tries, "I'm your Opposite."

Baekhyun scoffs. "You think I don't already fucking know that?" Jongin doesn't respond, but he does flinch. Baekhyun spits on the ground. "Huh?" He crosses his arms, and Jongin doesn't miss the way his fingers, long, elegant fingers, dig harshly into the sleeves of his jacket. "I already knew your name. I know you know mine."

"Baekhyun," Jongin answers even though there was no question. The other man jolts at the sound of his name, his face going blank and his eyes brightening for a split second before his expression returns to one befitting of his stony demeanor.

"Well, congratulations then," Baekhyun offers without meaning his words, "You finally found me."

Jongin is bewildered. "But we're supposed to be together! A pair!" His words gain nothing but mournful hate from his Opposite. Baekhyun takes one menacing step towards Jongin, leaning up into his face. His lips are twisted in a snarl.

"Yeah, that's right," he agrees, "A pair. You and me." His eyes glimmer, a bit too wet. Jongin knows instinctively that he's going to cry. He hands lift of their own accord, ready to comfort the person standing before him. Baekhyun shoves him hard, hands flat against Jongin's chest.

"A fucking pair!" He shouts. "Was it so difficult? You couldn't have just stayed a little longer?" He points one of those pretty fingers at Jongin. "You were weak." Baekhyun doesn't say it, but Jongin can hear his next words: _it made me weak._ But he doesn't understand.

"I didn't leave you!" Jongin shouts back, stepping back up to be chest to chest with Baekhyun. "You're the one who's hidden himself from me for over a year! You never showed me even your face!" He takes a deep breath in. "I was alone! I've been wanting only to be in a real pair and you weren't there!"

Baekhyun's voice is low and dangerous. "You don't know what it means to be alone, Kim Jongin," he starts. "You don't have a fucking clue. You haven't got even a fucking inkling of what it means to be missing your other half." He snorts unattractively. "You were by yourself for one year? So what!?" He's pacing now, his voice raising and cracking at he angrily grinds out his words. "At least during that time I was alive! You didn't have to feel your heart slowly coming to a halt because your Opposite is gone. You didn't have  to suffer anything close to what I did!"

"Why would you suffer!?" Jongin demands angrily.

"I was alone for fifty years!" Baekhyun retorts.

"But why-?"

"Because _you left me_!" Baekhyun screams. He pants harshly, his eyes wild and shining as they focus on a shocked Jongin. He repeats himself. "You _left._ "

"Wh-what?" Jongin interjects, "No, I never-!" Images flicker behind his eyelids, memories he's never experienced in this body, but his memories. He sees himself, and he sees Baekhyun. He sees their history together with their brothers. He's flooded with the images, an assault that keeps him gasping for breath as it continues.

He tries to focus on the Baekhyun in front of him, but his first step drives him down to his knees, the weight of the memories of thousands of years crushing him easily. He kneels in the dirt, hands wrapped tightly around himself and mouth open in a silent scream.

He watches Tao and Sehun run their clock, watches them fade into old men and be reborn. Watches Chanyeol attempt to create Baked Alaska and set the flowers in the vase on fire along with the dishtowels and the cake.

He sees Baekhyun on his knees with his spit-slick lips around Jongin's cock.

He sees Baekhyun under him, his mouth falling open and light bursting from his body to curve around Jongin's shadows as he comes into Jongin's hand. He sees Baekhyun over him, his pretty fingers pressing Jongin's thighs against his own chest as he fucks him. He hears his whispers of "I love you." He sees the hurt flash across his face as Jongin pulls away. He sees Baekhyun screaming at him, hears his own voice scream back as they fight, Baekhyun begging him to hold on a little longer, to wait to go into a new cycle until they're both ready.

He sees the destruction of Korea that they hadn't been able to prevent in the form of war against North Korea. He sees his friends, his sister's children, and the young kids he'd been tutoring in physics dead on a battle field. He feels the loss of the Six-Two-Five War and feels his useless hands held over his eyes as he cries. He hears Baekhyun telling him he couldn't have stopped it, that it's not his fault.

He remembers longing to be dead to atone for his inability to save anyone. He remembers Baekhyun's anger at his idea.

He sees himself with a map of the world, x's marked in a pattern meant to purposely waste his energy. He hears Yixing's voice in his ear.

 _"We are immortal to a point. As the years go on, our bodies weaken to the constant flow of energy in our systems. After what I'm guessing is about three hundred years, if one of us were to use a huge amount of energy, our bodies will not be able to recover it. That person would then age at an accelerated rate and that body would die."_

 _"Do we come back?"_

 _"Yes. After that energy that belongs to that person has re-grouped, so to speak, that person will be born again, going through the same process of being found at age five and given the necklace, gaining the tattoo of their symbol at age ten, awakening their powers at age eighteen, and anything else that may occur in between or after."_

 _"And the past cycle? Would it just be gone?"_

 _"After reconnection with your Opposite, all of the memories of the past cycles should come back."_

 _"Just one more thing, hyung. How do you know this?"_

 _"Jongdae and I once ended our own cycle. We felt we needed a new start. But it wasn't easy. We're not meant to die. We're meant to persevere."_

But Jongin hadn't persevered. He'd given up. He'd wasted his energy, slit his wrists, and let Baekhyun find him dead on the bathroom floor mere minutes later.

"Did you get the fresh start you wanted?" Baekhyun demands. Jongin shakes his head, his voice coming out small and shattered, barely audible above the waves crashing around angrily underneath the cliffs where they stand.

"No," he answers in a whisper, "I didn't." He looks up to find Baekhyun staring at him with tears streaming down his face. Jongin's own cheeks are wet. Baekhyun presses his hand to his mouth, his anger and hurt restrained behind it. He takes a breath through his nose, enough to calm him to get out his next words.

"Good," Baekhyun spits. "You had a long time for that energy of yours to gather, because I held on. I stayed on this Earth for as long as I could without you." He points between himself and Jongin. "Why? Because this world moved on. It needed me. And I slowly died while you got to rest peacefully. I faded away with only half of myself. I couldn't replenish my energy without you. And you know what?" He gives Jongin the most heart-broken stare Jongin has ever seen.

"I was glad to stay alive as long as I did without you," he murmurs, venom in his voice giving way to sobs, "I was mad. I didn't want to see you. But all of that was a lie. Because all I really wanted was you. And you didn't love me enough to stay." And then he screams out in fresh agony as tears fall. His light gathers up, preparing to take him away, but Jongin jumps forward, grabbing onto his Opposite and refusing to let go.

He refuses to ever let go again.

Jongin wraps his arms around Baekhyun, holding him tightly even as he struggles to get free. He can feel Baekhyun shaking with his tears, and Jongin's own tears are soaking into Baekhyun's hair, but he doesn't let go or even loosen his hold.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, his voice cracking and breaths gasped in between cries, "I'm so sorry." Baekhyun shakes his head, but he ever so slowly lifts his arms and wraps them around Jongin's waist. He doesn't say anything, but that's ok, because Jongin can feel everything he wants him to know.

"I missed you," Jongin says in Baekhyun's place, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Baekhyun starts to pull back, and Jongin shifts, moving his hands to that they cup Baekhyun's neck, his thumbs wiping at his cheeks and his tears. Baekhyun's own fingers curl into Jongin's jacket.

"I'm not leaving you," Jongin says. "I can't leave you. Not again." He maintains eye contact with his Opposite, their energy flashing between them in bursts of shadow and of light. One last time, so that Baekhyun knows for certain, Jongin repeats himself.

"I'm sorry."

The sun sets on the pair locked in a tearful embrace, finally together again.  


...

  
When Jongin is twenty, he experiences true fear in a way he never thought fear could feel. His relationship with his Opposite has slowly but surely come back together to something that resembles friends.

And by that, Jongin means he's hopelessly in love with Baekhyun.

It's not difficult to be in love Baekhyun when Jongin is his other half, his Opposite and intended partner, but he didn't expect his own feelings to come on so strong. Baekhyun, however, seems to keep himself held back. Whenever Jongin reaches out for him and Baekhyun shies away, Baekhyun's words ring with the grate of nails on a chalkboard in Jongin's ears.

_You didn't love me enough._

This time around, Jongin is certain he loves Baekhyun enough. It's the day before Baekhyun's twenty-second birthday that he proves it to himself. He blinks into existence in the center of the apartment in Beijing. His arms are not laden with presents like Jongdae had suggested, but he does have in his possession a small gift he thinks his Opposite will really like.

He expects to arrive in the middle of a party at full swing, but instead he comes across his brothers sitting around presents and cake in wait. They all jerk up at Jongin's entrance. Tao tumbles out of Sehun's lap at the sudden intrusion.

"Jonginnie," Jongdae nearly sings, "Wait. Baekhyun's not with you?"

Jongin gives him a confused look. "I thought he was here with you guys already." He looks at his brothers, their bewildered expressions doing nothing but fueling the panic rising in Jongin's chest.

"I haven't seen him since noon," Jongin explains, his pulse beginning to race. Minseok leaps up from where he was sitting with Chanyeol. He moves to corner Jongin, grabbing onto one hand and lifting it to his heart.

"Breathe, Jongin," he orders, "just like this. Gentle." And Jongin tries to follow along, but the idea that Baekhyun has left him alone again, the realization that he won't be able to go on without Baekhyun wraps around his mind.

"I have to find him," Jongin says, desperate. "I have to-"

"Then go," Joonmyun interrupts, standing up with Luhan at his side. Their pinkies are locked between them. "You're the one who is linked to him. You have to find him." And Jongin tries, reaches into himself and into the shadows to find that link that leads him to Baekhyun, but he can't grab onto it. He wraps his arms around himself, shaking.

"I can't," he says, his voice shaking, "I can't feel him!" His visions starts darkening, his shadows becoming too much, too consuming, and his balance thrown out of alignment.

"He's panicking," Joonmyun is saying from miles away, "He'll let his power consume him if he goes on like this." Kris holds Jongin's body, keeping him upright.

"Chanyeol! Jongdae!" He faintly hears Luhan's orders. "You've got the brightest powers after Baekhyun. Light up!" The air smells to much like ozone and the heat is too stifling, but the room brightens in glowing reds and oranges, blues and purples. It's nothing at all like Baekhyun's golden light, but it forces the shadows in Jongin's mind back just enough.

There, in front of him, on another plane of vision, Jongin can see the glowing energy that is Baekhyun's life force. He reaches for it, wraps it in shadow, and disappears into it. Like this, with no control over his direction and no idea of his intended landing place, Jongin tumbles through space. It takes longer than a split second of his feet leaving the ground and landing elsewhere, but it lacks the harsh wind-knocked-from-his-stomach feeling of teleportation.

His feet touch down gently on the cliffs where he and Baekhyun had finally reconnected a year ago. Ahead of him, that same halo of light envoloping his body, Baekhyun stands on the edge of the cliff. He's staring out into the distance, but he's safe, he's alive. He _hasn't left._ Jongin is relieved.

"Baekhyun!" He calls out, beginning to move toward the other man.

Baekhyun startles and turns; his foot slips. In slow motion, Jongin sees his eyes open in shock, his hand reaching out, mouth opening to scream-

He plummets.

_"Baek!"_ Jongin screams. He races forward without a hint of hesitation and dives after his Opposite. In the dark, he can see Baekhyun's light blinking in and out of existence as he falls toward the ocean and the sharp rocks waiting to split his body into pieces. Jongin makes himself as aerodynamic as possible, pressing his legs together and trapping his arms against his sides. He drops faster than Baekhyun who is sprawled in the air. His eyes meet his Opposite's- he's close to him. So close. He stretches his hand out, fingers straining to simply touch Baekhyun. The light user reaches back, absolute terror written on his face. All Jongin can hear is the wind whistling in his ears.

Jongin forces his mind blank, picturing the ground they had just dived from. His hand closes around Baekhyun's. He shifts.

They land hard on the ground, rolling together toward safety. Jongin keeps his body wrapped around his Opposite, protecting him. They come to a halt, and for a few moments, simply breathe, holding each other too tightly and yet not tightly enough.

"I was so scared," Jongin breathes against Baekhyun's neck. He holds tight to the other man, his own body still trembling with fear. "I thought you had left."

"I'm so sorry," Baekhyun murmurs, "I just had to- I couldn't-" He coughs a little, unsure of his words. Jongin keeps quiet, letting Baekhyun find his voice. He buries his face in Baekhyun's shoulder, keeping his ears pricked for Baekhyun's next words. When the other man does speak, Jongin can feel the vibrations from his voice through the hand he's got on Baekhyun's back.

"I want something with you that I don't know if you're ready for," Baekhyun whispers. "I want you, _all of you,_ so badly my jaw aches with it, but I can't-" he stops again, gently clearing his throat and taking a moment to breathe. "I can't let myself want you if you don't love me the way I've always loved you."

Jongin is frozen, mute with shock.

"Baek..." he starts. Baekhyun presses a few fingers over his lips.

"I love you, Kim Jongin," Baekhyun nearly squeaks, but his eyes on Jongin's are steady, "I couldn't stay so close to you without losing my mind. I just needed to clear my head." He meets Jongin's gaze. "I want so badly to be your Opposite." Echoed in Jongin's mind is the first time Baekhyun had said these words to him nearly two thousand years ago. The memory overlapping the Baekhyun here and now. _"Will you step into eternity with me?"_

Jongin's heart seizes, clenching painfully to remind him of the healing gap that he had made with his stupidity and Baekhyun's stubbornness. He sits up from where they were tangled on the ground and pulls Baekhyun up with him

"Yes," Jongin breathes. He watches the happiness, the relief flood Baekhyun's eyes. He leans forward, his hands carefully cupping Baekhyun's face. Their lips meet. Jongin feels whole. He pulls Baekhyun closer, his hands shifting to slide through his hair, down his back. He feels Baekhyun molding himself against Jongin's body, tilting his head back and licking along the seam of Jongin's lips. Jongin let's out the slightest whine, his mouth opening. Baekhyun's teeth tug on his bottom lip, and Jongin lets his own tongue snake into Baekhyun's mouth. Baekhyun's hands fist in Jongin's jacket. He uses the leverage to pull himself into Jongin's lap. He grinds down, pleasure simultaneously bending Baekhyun and Jongin's spine. Baekhyun falls back, his neck exposed as he pants up at the night sky. Jongin curves forward, his teeth scraping along Baekhyun's adam's apple.

"Take me home, Jongin," Baekhyun pleads, the ghost of his mouth moving against Jongin's lips. Jongin gathers Baekhyun close to  
him, picturing his bed in the Seoul apartment. His seals himself and Baekhyun together with a kiss and shifts. Light and Shadow curl around each other in an intricate dance that begins with Jongin and Baekhyun re-materializing in Jongin's room, their mouths moving hungrily against each other. They kick off their shoes in tandem as they fall back onto Jongin's bed.

Baekhyun's fingers in Jongin's jacket push the material from Jongin's shoulder. He releases Baekhyun for a moment to shrug his arms out of the jacket and drop it on the floor. Baekhyun's hands are already underneath Jongin's shirt, tugging the cotton over his head and tossing it aside. He presses his hands flat against Jongin's check and pushes him flat down against the mattress. Baekhyun throws his leg over Jongin's waist and looks down at him.

The sheets are mused under him, and his dark hair fanned across the pillow drives Baekhyun to lean down. He traces the shell of Jongin's ear with his tongue. The tremble that runs through Jongin's body at the action sends a sympathetic tingle of pleasure racing through Baekhyun's own body, and he whimpers. Jongin's fingers flex around his hips.

Baekhyun starts on the buttons of his own shirt. Jongin holds tight onto Baekhyun's hips, his thumbs tracing lightly along the waistband of his jeans. He leans up, abdominals flexing as he traces Baekhyun's collarbones with his lips, tongue, teeth as the other man's shirt is finally removed. Jongin tugs impatiently at the bro-tank riding up Baekhyun's stomach. Baekhyun allows him to pull it off and throw it away. Jongin nearly turns to look where the offending fabric landed, but Baekhyun's slim fingers grip along his jaw, forcing him to tilt his head back.

Baekhyun licks into Jongin's mouth, the kiss growing sloppy, mouth slipping against each other with too much spit, their teeth clacking as they attempt to shimmy out of their pants.  Baekhyun gets out of his first, and Jongin, impatient, teleports out of his, rolling himself and Baekhyun over again.

Hovering over his Opposite, Jongin pauses. His arms shake from the force of arousal thrumming through his veins as he carefully reaches down to take Baekhyun's erection in his hand. The warmth of Jongin's palm is nice, but evidently not enough as Baekhyun rolls his hips up, searching for more. He covers Jongin's hand with his own, tightening his grip and moving his Opposite's hand, teaching him how to treat him.

Jongin digs his thumb into Baekhyun's slit, listening to his loud groan.

"More," Baekhyun murmurs, "Come on, Jongin." The sound of his name sends Jongin crashing forward, sucking on Baekhyun's thundering pulse just under his jaw while he fumbles for lube in the bedside drawer. He slicks up his fingers, before pausing, sitting in between Baekhyun's spread legs but meeting only his Opposite eyes.

"Is this okay?" He asks. He circles Baekhyun's rim with a finger. The other man throws his head back, his back arching as he tries to get closer.

"Yes," he breathes. Slowly, carefully, Jongin pushes the first in, sliding knuckle deep. He doesn't wait for Baekhyun's vocal permission to start stretching him; he's already impatient enough for Jongin to get another finger inside him if his rocking back into Jongin's touch is any indication. Jongin adds a second and third  finger in quick succession, working Baekhyun open. His fingers find an area of soft tissue inside his Opposite and he immediately abuses it, receiving a symphony of pleas and praises from Baekhyun's lips at his action. His own dick is weeping pre-come, straining against his stomach and in desperate need of attention.

"Jongin, please," Baekhyun says, hooking his ankles behind Jongin's back. " _Please."_ Jongin watches Baekhyun moan as he pulls his fingers free, dribbling more lube onto his fingers and slicking himself up. Baekhyun's pretty fingers reach down, circling Jongin's dick and stealing an unbridled sound of want from his mouth as he pulls Jongin forward with his ankles locked behind his ass, one hand tangled in his hair, and the other positioning Jongin's erection so that he can slide in, in, deeper, deeper. Jongin unlocks Baekhyun's ankles, hooking the other man's legs over his elbows to keep him spread open.

Baekhyun moves his free hand to Jongin's shoulder and squeezes tightly to ignore the small pain even as Jongin's jaw hangs slack from the warmth around his dick. He gasps, knees pressing against Jongin's elbows in the slightest show of resistance as Jongin bottoms out. Baekhyun squirms, as if to get comfortable, but his movements are only aggravating to the unfamiliar burn. Jongin presses little kisses over Baekhyun's eyebrows and cheekbones, murmuring encouraging words to him, describing to him how good he feels, telling him how beautiful he is.

Baekhyun shifts again, and Jongin's cock nudges back up against his prostate. Baekhyun keens, and Jongin moves. His snips snap forward with a sense of urgency even as his hands roam across the taut skin of Baekhyun's stomach, trace the lines of his hip bones, and grasp tightly at his pale thighs. He moves with purpose, with the drive of a man who finds completeness in the one writhing underneath him. With every push in, Jongin muffles his groans against Baekhyun's collarbones, his words of praise becoming less and less intelligible as he loses himself to pleasure.

Baekhyun's hand scrabble for purchase on the smooth skin of Jongin's back, fingernails leaving little red welts. The sting makes Jongin leans down, trapping Baekhyun's erection between their stomachs and allowing him to grind up against Jongin's muscles as they flex, working to drive him harder and faster into Baekhyun.

"Fuck," Baekhyun moans, drawing the word out. His breath ghosts over Jongin's lips, and he seals them over Baekhyun's in a kiss. He bites on Baekhyun's top lip, and Baekhyun comes.

Jongin fucks him through it, hurdling towards his own orgasm as Baekhyun clenches around him. With the pleasure erupting in Baekhyun's system, he glows, eyes alight and unfocused. As he comes down from his high, Baekhyun finds the words he'd been wanting to say every day since he first met Jongin thousands of years ago.

"I love you," he says. The phrase acts as a trigger, setting Jongin off. His shadows warp and twist around the room, playing within and around Baekhyun's light. He buries his face in Baekhyun's neck and breathes.

It's a few moments before he pulls out, wincing a little at the oversensitivity, but Baekhyun is already tracing gentle fingers across his chest, sucking marks in the wake of his hands and whispering sweet nothings in Jongin's ears. Jongin curls himself around Baekhyun, tangling their bodies so that neither can tell whose limbs are whose.

"Do you love me?" Baekhyun asks, voice breathless and chest flushed as he lies there in the afterglow. Jongin leans over his Opposite and says his answer clearly against the other man's lips.

"I love you more than I could ever express." He seals his words with another kiss against Baekhyun's swollen mouth. Baekhyun's arms come to wrap around Jongin easily, both of them falling into rhythm against each other. Their entwined hands proudly display the matching rays of starlight reaching out to the swirled triangle.

It's Baekhyun's birthday when Jongin proves his words to them both (again).

  
...

  
When Jongin is fifty, he gets his first taste of the code of honor Joonmyun and Luhan enforce on them. The international news talks about a tsunami rising up to accost Japan as an aftershock of the earthquake that had just felled a coastal city. With Jongin's teleportation, they had all rushed to the scene in time for Kyungsoo to calm the ground, but not fast enough to stop the destruction they can see around them.

In the distance, a giant wave looms high. A huge shadow is approaching the Japanese shoreline.

"Kyungsoo, continue to hold the ground steady, we don't need any residual shocks making this thing worse," Joonmyun instructs. Yifan moves immediately to stand behind his Opposite, his hands on his shoulders offering energy. "Jongin, Baekhyun, you two go find any trapped survivors and get them out. Jongin, you know where the evacuees are being kept, right?" Jongin nods. Joonmyun turns to Tao and Sehun.

"I need you two to keep the wind calm and time moving slowly. That will help everyone." Sehun and Tao grin. They're probably already planning to make a game out of this, but Joonmyun won't stop them. Their control over their abilities is impeccable.

"Yixing," Joonmyun instructs, "Let Jongin take you to the shelter. Help anyone you can, but be careful." Yixing nods solemnly.

"Of course," he agrees. He laces his fingers with Jongdae's.

"Jongdae, I'm sorry," Luhan says, "But we don't need destruction this time." Jongdae winks.

"I'm just going to keep the power lines running, yeah?" Joonmyun smiles, proud. He glances at Chanyeol and Minseok who nod quietly, already understanding they aren't needed. Minseok offers immediately to go to the shelter and help out where they can. Chanyeol wants to whine, but Minseok's hard elbow in his side quiets him.

"And what about you and Luhan-hyung?" Jongin interrupts, staring at the leader of their group. Joonmyun and Luhan go still, their faces grave. They lift their eyes slowly to meet Jongin's, to meet everyone's. Chanyeol gasps, and Minseok tightens his grip around his Opposite's arm.

"You can't!" Zitao bursts out. Sehun tightens his hold on him, but Zitao's distress is echoed on Sehun's face.

"We have to," Joonmyun says. "We will entirely stop this, but the buildings back together, and make it like this never happened." He smiles wryly. "Some light miracle work."

"It will be your end," Yifan murmurs, his hands clenched on Kyungsoo's shoulders. His Opposite levels his mournful stare at two men resigning themselves to a recycle. All around them, the sentiment "don't go" resounds.

"We'll have to age first," Luhan says, "So this isn't goodbye. And even still, we'll come back."

"But for how long will we be without you?" Baekhyun asks. He doesn't get an answer, and he didn't expect one, Jongin knows. If anyone here knows about separation and torn hearts, it's Baekhyun. Jongin slips his arms around Baekhyun's  waist, a silent apology and a transfer of energy.

"As long as it takes for our energy to be gathered again," Joonmyun whispers. Luhan threads his fingers through the fingers of the man who controls water.

"Find us quickly, ok?" Luhan says. Jongin and Baekhyun feel the weight of the promise as they agree settle on their shoulders. Their necklaces feel heavy around their necks. "For now, let's save this world."

Jongin, unable to stay and look at the mournful but determined faces of his teammates and the apology shining in his hyungs' eyes, snaps his fingers. He and Baekhyun disappear in a flash of shadow to find the people who have been trapped. They don't speak unless necessary, too distraught to do much more than focus on the task at hand.

  
...

  
When Jongin is seventy-two, he's become accustomed to seeing a wrinkled Joonmyun and balding Luhan wandering around Beijing or Seoul together, but it doesn't stop his heart from aching each time. The two of them had quieted after giving up their energy to save Japan from a disaster, slowly distancing themselves from the rest of them. There had never been a slow in the flow of love between the two of them or the love for the other pairs, but it had begun to come from a distance. Today, Jongin is sitting in the living room when he realizes hasn't seen the pair anywhere, and it's already nearing dinner time.

"Hey, Baek," Jongin calls across the living room to his Opposite. Baekhyun immediately looks up from his libretto with a smile on his face. Jongin revels in the  happy expression the same way he has ever since he first saw it directed at himself, but his own sad, worried eyes draw the smile from Baekhyun's face.

"What's wrong, Jonginnie?" Baekhyun asks, setting the libretto aside and moving quickly across the room. He settles himself in Jongin's laugh, looping his arms around his shoulders. He strokes gently through Jongin's hair.

"I haven't seen Joonmyun-hyung or Luhan-hyung today," Jongin murmurs, pressing his lips against Baekhyun's collar bone. "It's just strange." He can feel Baekhyun stiffen in his arms.

"I haven't felt a draw to them today at all," Baekhyun says suddenly, and a tendril of fear runs off of him to Jongin. "What if..."

The front door is thrown open with a burst of wind. Sehun, and Zitao come barging back into the apartment. Zitao is already in tears as he shouts for everyone in the house to hear.

"It's today!" He sobs, falling over. Only Sehun's arms around him keep him from crashing painfully into the floor. It's those words that trigger everyone running up the stairs to Joonmyun and Luhan's room. The lack of energy radiating from the room when Jongin puts his hand on the doorknob confirms Tao's words.

With a heavy heart, Jongin opens the door to find his hyungs tangled together on their bed, their fingers woven together and their hearts stopped.

He lets out a dry sob.

"Hyung?" He whispers pathetically, "Hyung!" Baekhyun's with him, burying his face in Jongin's shirt as the rest of their brothers fill in. Yixing hurries immediately to the bedside, his hands filled with energy. Jongdae races forward, grabbing his Opposite and yanking him back. Yixing screams at Jongdae to let him help, but Jongdae tells him that he can't revive the dead.

Sound in the room seems muted, even Yixing's loud cries and Zitao's muffled sobs seem to be filtering through water to get the Jongin's ears. It's minutes before anyone can bring up the courage to say anything but thoughtless encouragements whispered in their lovers' ears.

When the silence is broken, it's no surprise that it's Kyungsoo. He'd been closest to Joonmyun as the child that Joonmyun had found first.

"I'll miss him," Kyungsoo says, his low soothing voice running over Jongin and giving him enough strength to remain standing. "I'll miss them. But it's not the end. The cycle goes on." Yifan gives an affirmative nod from where he stands beside Kyungsoo.

"They'll come back," Yixing says, straightening from where he'd been crying into Jongdae's shoulder, his conviction the only solid pillar for the rest of them to grab onto. Jongin leans heavily on Baekhyun whose tears are already soaking his sleeve. "It may take a long while, but when they come back, we'll find them." He glances pointedly at the necklaces hanging around Jongin and Baekhyun's necks. The couple nods in understanding, even as their visions blur with tears.

  
...

  
When Jongin is one-hundred-thirty-six years old but looking not a day over twenty, he feels something he hadn't in years: the necklace resting against his sternum jumps. Jongin raises a hand to it immediately, his fingers closing around the points of the star comfortably. He sits up in bed, clasping the necklace tightly to hit chest and breathing evenly. He can feel the leather pulling slightly at his neck, can feel his heart starting to yearn to go somewhere. The image of the place is blurry in his mind- it's somewhere he's never been before, but he knows with a certainty he hasn't felt since he moved to find his Opposite that his body will take him there.  
Next to him, the sheets shift and warm arms wrap around his shoulders.

"Why are you awake?" Baekhyun murmurs sleepily into his neck, and Jongin wants nothing more than to sink back, wrap his own arms around his Opposite and go back to sleep. The necklace presses angrily into his skin at the notion. Baekhyun notices, getting up on his knees to peer over Jongin's shoulder.

"The charm," he breathes. He reaches around Jongin, long fingers carefully tracing the necklace hung around his lover's neck.

"They're back." Happiness from Baekhyun bleeds from his pores and is absorbed in Jongin's skin. He turns his head, grabbing onto Baekhyun's neck and pulling him forward to capture his mouth. The kiss is full of relief as the edges of the sensation known as completion begin to creep in on their hearts.

"Is your's reacting weird?" Jongin asks as he pulls back, a little breathless. His eyes are still focused forward, seeing the blurry image of where he needs to go.

"No," Baekhyun says. "But it's not unusual. Usually one half is reborn first." He gets up, throwing underwear, pants, a shirt, a jacket, and shoes at Jongin. For a moment, Jongin comes back to seeing the room he's physically in, and he can't stop the slow smile from lifting the corners of his mouth when he looks at Baekhyun's body and knows that it's his- all his.

"Put those on," Baekhyun orders, "And go." Jongin blinks, and his vision fuzzes out again. With Baekhyun's help, he manages to dress and throw a mint in his mouth. Baekhyun pats his ass fondly.

"Go find him, Jonginnie," Baekhyun says. With his words of encouragement ringing in his ears, Jongin focuses on the blurred picture of a young boy, grips the necklace, and jumps.


End file.
